


The Git Down the Hall

by MatthewWuzHere



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Harry Potter Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Epilogue Compliant, Pining, Quote: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good (Harry Potter), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:01:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24249982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatthewWuzHere/pseuds/MatthewWuzHere
Summary: After the war, Harry returned to Hogwarts. He finds that nothing is the same and nothing will ever return to what he used to have. Harry has to fight his way through learning to cope with the night terrors and trauma. The only thing that would make this worse would be if Draco returned to Hogwarts- wait fuck Draco just showed up.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Kudos: 14





	The Git Down the Hall

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this at 2 to 4 AM and almost passed out like twice, so sorry for any errors or it lacking detail. I promise I will be more awake for the next chapter to make up for it.

Nothing will ever be the same. 

Harry gulped at the thought. He’d been a fool to think everything would go back to normal. Back to the good old Hogwarts. The Hogwarts that raised him up to be the young man he was today. Of course, the war had torn him away from the comfort he had once felt in these walls. Students roamed the halls like they were the living dead. Spirits had been broken and Harry couldn’t blame them. His spirit hadn’t exactly got away unscathed. 

The houses felt empty and lonely. Every night when Harry returned to the beds, he found himself looking for familiar faces, only to remember that those faces were gone and wouldn’t come back. Not even Ron or Hermione could save him from his night terrors. Visions of the dead haunt him in his sleep. Every night the war replays his mind like a song on repeat. A really filthy song, so loud it drowns out every joy he's ever felt. 

That’s why Ginny left him. 

Harry had cried for nights but it had been for the best. Ginny wanted to move on from the War and Harry seemed to always dwell in the past. She had promised they could still be friends, but it was awkward. Harry’s heart still felt as if it had been torn from his chest and it had been months. 

He was a lost cause. A broken boy. Joy seemed like a distant memory, always just out of his reach. At least his friends stuck with him. Through his vent sessions and complaints, through all the tears and fits of fear. They were there to remind him to eat when he was lost in thought and scratching his plate with his fork. 

The Great Hall felt empty with the lack of students. Even when every student showed up to eat it was barely half full. Looking over the empty seats made Harry’s fist tighten around his fork, which was once again picking at his food. 

“Harry, if you don’t eat your food will get cold.” Hermione waved her hand in front of Harry’s eyes, causing them to flick back his plate. 

“So what?” He spoke tiredly. 

“So, if it gets cold, I'm still going to make you eat it.” She crossed her arms stubbornly, which earned a chuckle from Ron who sat beside her. 

Harry sighed and began to chew the food and swallow it. It felt flavorless and unsatisfying. Just warm lumps of nothingness. It made Harry want to spit the food back up but he forced himself to swallow anyway. He was hungry, After all. 

And then the doors swung open. Harry’s eyes darted up to the sight as a platinum blonde boy stepped into the hall. He seemed taller, and less pale than the last time Harry had seen him. His fork clattered onto his plate; he didn’t remember dropping it. 

Draco’s eyes locked onto Harry’s. Harry hadn’t seen the boy since the trials. He had no idea he’d be back at Hogwarts... not so soon at least. His stomach lurched and he struggled to keep down his food. Hermione nudged him gently and he looked away from Malfoy. She rubbed his back gently, “It’ll be ok, Harry.” 

Harry felt worried, although he wasn’t sure if he was worried about himself or for Draco. Surely everyone would hate the boy. It seemed he was right when Draco made his way to the Slytherin table and the students picked up their things and moved. Draco seemed unphased by the action but Harry couldn’t help but feel bad. His family had been disgraced; his life had been shattered. 

When Harry looked into Draco’s eyes, he saw the same scared look he saw in the mirror every morning. 

Maybe that’s what made Harry stand up. What made his set down his food and begin to stride toward the Slytherin table. The world seemed to stop as he took a seat across from Draco. Everyone fell silent as Harry grabbed a plate and began eating. 

Even his own friends stared in shock. Draco seemed to pay no attention to the gesture. They continued eating silently as if not acknowledging each other's presence. As time passed students began to feel more at ease. Some even moved to sit closer. Ron and Hermione took a seat next to Harry. Harry knew his reputation would never recover fully from this action, but Harry didn’t care about his reputation. He cared about doing what was right. Even if that meant making some rude git feel a little bit better. Harry by no means wanted to be the boy's friend. Every bone in his body hated Draco for what he had done but deep-down Harry knew Draco didn’t have much of a choice, and when it came down to it here, they both were. The war was over and Harry was going to make a point of it. 

There was no use holding grudges over something Harry wanted so desperately to forget. So, he ate until his plate was empty, then he stood once again. This time Draco’s eyes followed him as Harry walked out the door followed by his friends. They walked slowly down the halls until they got to the Gryffindor house. 

Once they were in and the coast was clear Ron grabbed Harry by the shoulders, “What the bloody hell was that?” He practically shouted the question. 

Harry shrugged off his friend's hands before responding, “Was I supposed to just let him sit alone?” 

Ron opened his mouth to speak but Hermione beat him to speaking, “Yeah Harry! We hate him remember? He always picked fights with us and he joined Voldemort!” 

“Did he really have a choice? Besides, I wasn’t being friendly I was simply doing the right thing.” 

“The right thing? I think you gave everyone a heart attack, including Malfoy!” Ron shouted. 

Harry turned around and walked towards the boys sleeping quarters. Ron followed quickly, trying to stop him. Hermione crossed her arms, “Harry you know I’m not supposed to be in the boys sleeping quarters. I can’t follow you.” 

When Harry didn’t reply Ron spoke softly, “Harry you’re acting weird what’s-” 

“Stop! Just... stop. I am not choosing Draco’s side over you guys! I don’t want to be his friend! I was doing the right thing because he looked scared. I’m done talking about it now let it go!” Harry cut Ron off harshly. 

Both of Harry’s friends looked at him as if they had just been kicked. Harry knew he shouldn’t have snapped but he couldn’t take it. He didn’t even talk to Draco and his friends were already upset. 

He just needed to sleep. Today had been a shock to his system and his friends were right. He wasn’t acting as usual. Seeing Draco should’ve made him want to curl over and cry but it almost made him feel relieved. Like he wasn’t alone in the fear he felt. He couldn’t fully forgive Draco, and by no means did he want to befriend the boy... But doing the right thing had made him feel better. 

Harry crawled into one of the beds and pulled the blankets over him. He tried to fall asleep, hoping he wouldn’t wake up screaming as he did sometimes. 

\--- 

What the hell was Potter’s problem? He would’ve been fine on his own so why did Potter sit with him? To rub it in? To make him feel guilty. Draco rolled his eyes. He didn’t need the boy's kind gesture; he didn’t care what his motives were. 

Draco didn’t expect anyone to treat him with such kindness, especially not Potter. After everything that happened, he expected the boy to hate him, and he wouldn’t blame him for it. Draco had been a bit of a prick throughout the years and he could admit it. So why? After all, he did to Potter why did he still show him kindness? It made the blonde’s blood boil as he gripped his wand. 

He shouldn’t have come back... but Hogwarts was his home. Even after all that’s happened, he couldn’t bring himself to just leave. So, he picked himself up and he marched through that door. And the moment his eyes met potter’s; he immediately regretted his decision. 

The entire time they sat and ate was filled with uncomfortable silence. Draco didn’t know whether to speak, be angry, or thank Harry. Students' eyes burned holes in the back of Draco’s head and as much as he appreciated Potter’s gesture, he’d rather not have more attention than necessary. So, when the boy finished his food and left, followed by his friends, Draco let out a sigh of relief. 

He was free from that silent torture. But what happened next made him wish Harry hadn’t left. 

Ginny slammed her hand on the table. Draco looked up to make eye contact with the petite girl. Despite her angry gesture she seemed to tremble with fear before him. It almost made him chuckle. Potter’s pathetic girlfriend came to get mad at him? How idiotic. 

“You’re the reason Harry changed. You ruined everything.” She kept her voice sharp and quiet so the exchange stayed between the two, but was loud enough to get her point across. 

“Ruined everything? I don’t know what you mean. Go annoy your git of a boyfriend.” Draco turned his attention back to his food before he heard a sniffle. 

Ginny’s eyes welled up with tears, “He’s not my boyfriend. He is no longer the man I fell in love with and it’s your fault. I will never forgive you.” 

“I wasn’t exactly looking for your forgiveness, Weasley.” Draco couldn’t help but let his voice slip at the end. Not dating? The golden couple had broken up, how was that his fault? “Seems like a personal matter to me, now please leave me alone. I don’t need to know who your snogging and who you’re not.” 

Ginny raised her hand in a sudden motion and slapped it across Draco’s face before storming off back to her table. Draco brought his hand up to cover the red mark now decorating his pale skin. How dare she? It was one thing to accuse him of something he had no control over, but to slap him? She had crossed the line. He hissed in pain as the mark stung. With luck, it wouldn’t leave a mark. He didn’t need anyone questioning him on the Ginny shaped hand that was bruised into his cheek. 

Draco had never really been fond of the golden couple's relationship. He couldn’t quite understand why. Something about it just didn’t sit right with Draco, though he did nothing to sabotage them. Despite what some of his friends used to think, he wasn’t constantly obsessed with Potter and trying to ruin his life. He had better things to be doing sometimes. 

The exchange left Draco without an appetite and he pushed his plate to the center of the table before standing. He slowly walked off down into the hall, all while stroking his cheek in pain. She may have been small but damn, did she know how to really hurt when she slapped. It almost felt worse than when Granger had punched him square in the nose. He had deserved that one though. 

He made it back to the Slytherin’s quarters and walked to the bathroom. Upon inspecting himself in the mirror, he determined the slap wouldn’t leave a mark. Now all he had to focus on was soothing the pain. He turned on the faucet and let the water turn to a cool but not freezing temperature before soaking a rag in it. He pressed the wet rag against his face and sighed. 

“It’s good to be back...” Draco murmured before leaving the bathroom with the rag still pressed against his cheek. He walked to the Boy’s sleeping quarters. They were mostly empty as most of the Slytherins had either joined Voldemort, dropped out, or been killed. Only a few remained. Draco chose a bed and sat down on it. 

A sudden shriek caught his attention. Upon listening closer he realized it had only been Potter’s. The school had been so quiet it would be hard not to hear a scream, even from across campus. Draco almost felt guilty. He too suffered from night terrors from the war. No doubt Harry had gotten the worst of them. 

He set the rag aside and lied down on the bed. Not bothering to get changed or pull the covers over him. He was far too tired and too stressed for that. Classes would start up again tomorrow. He needed plenty of rest so he could annoy Potter fully and effortlessly.


End file.
